Ages 12 to 24 months

Sea Squirts Preview

Specially designed for our youngest learners, the Sea Squirts Preview program is a great introduction to our Sea Squirts classes! Over the course of four weeks, your child will become more comfortable in our classroom setting and you will become more confident exploring the Aquarium with your children outside of class time.

Classes take place Mondays at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 2:30 p.m.

Ages 2 to 4 years old

Sea Squirts

Continue your youngster’s ocean education with Sea Squirts classes, which introduce your child to the wonders of the aquatic world while focusing on their developing motor and language skills, socialization skills, and encouraging the development of early science skills such as observation and exploration. Sea Squirts is a four-week class for children who are 2 to 4 years old.

Ages 4 to 5 years old

Sea Squirts Advanced

Take a deeper dive into Sea Squirts topics and follow the same curriculum (schedule, format, and topics) as Sea Squirts with instruction and information scaled up for older children. These classes are a great fit for prekindergarten and Kindergarten 1 students to deepen their knowledge of the oceans and the Aquarium while having fun with their caregiver and other children their age.

Classes meet on Sundays or Tuesdays at 3 p.m.

Grades K – 2

AquaSTEAM

The Aquarium is introducing a new pilot, after-school series that will allow children in kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 to use the Aquarium’s exhibits to strategically enhance learning and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) skills. Students will identify a problem or question to solve and use tools and information provided to explore the issue, think through the options, and present possible solutions.

Classes meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Grades 4 – 7

Harbor Discoveries Summer Camps

For students entering fourth grade and above in the fall, Harbor Discoveries is an interactive marine and environmental science program that incorporates traditional camp activities. Nature serves as our outdoor classroom as we travel to explore aquatic environments.

Grades 7 – 11

Advanced Aquarium Summer Institute

The Advanced Aquarium Summer Institute is for those entering grades 8 and 9 in the fall. Special two-week programs are also available to rising 10th-graders. All programs include a Thursday night overnight experience; two-week programs have a longer overnight segment. Group sizes range from 10 to 12 depending on the session and activity.

Marine Biologist in Training

Marine Biologist in Training (MBIT) courses are challenging opportunities for students in grades 7 to 11 to learn about marine science and build skills for problem solving, leadership, and environmental stewardship. Combining classroom time with hands-on experience, this program creates a unique learning opportunity with the New England Aquarium as a resource.

Grades 9 – 12

live blue™ Ambassadors

The live blue™ Ambassador program is a service learning program for teens ages 14 to 18 who are interested in serving the Aquarium’s mission beyond the walls of the Aquarium. Participants will take part in different types of service-learning opportunities, which may include habitat cleanup and restoration, public education and outreach, and citizen science. There is no limit to how many or how few events participants can attend.

Climateens

ClimaTeens is a group of dedicated 14 to 18 year-olds who care about the oceans and who want to contribute to a healthy future. Teens in the program arrive with various levels of knowledge about climate change, but they are united by a desire to learn more about it as an issue of concern and are committed to learning ways to engage public audiences, particularly their peers.

Teen Internships

The Summer Teen Internship Program is a great opportunity for teens to challenge themselves and learn useful skills while having fun and meeting new friends. The Aquarium offers paid and volunteer summer internships for Boston, Cambridge, and suburban youth for one week of training and six weeks of work in July and August.